Signaling device



July 14, 1925. Q 1,546,146

E. J. SHAFFER SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Oct. 1'7 1924 jZ U 2 g fr/ra/zzo/ 3Q OHM, lm, MMM

Patented J uly 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES ERNEST J'. SHAFFER, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST J. SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Signaling Devices,

- of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to traffic signals of the class which are illuminated by exterior light, as by that borrowed from the headlights of approaching vehicles; and its objects are to provide a device of this character that is highly eflicient and particularly effective in attracting attention; that is very simple and substantial of construction; that is economical of manufacture and maintenance; that is very durable, and, in its preferred form, is adapted to be set within the paving of a roadway.

An embodiment of the invention is illusvtrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same.

According to the present embodiment, the device comprises a housing or body that is provided with a base extension 2 which may be firmly set within the paving of a roadway; and it has along one side a recess 3 which opens through the top and side of the housing.

The body or housing may be constituted of a substantial casting of suitable metal, and it is surmounted by a cap 4 which is shown as held in place by screws 5 and closes the top of the recess 3.

Extending across the open side of the recess 3 is a pane 6 of clear glass or other transparent material which may be held in place by engaging its ends between guides 7 that are carried by the end walls of the recess. Shown as lying upon the bottom of the recess 3 is a sheet or plate 8 upon which may appear'any suitable indicia, such as the word Stop; or said sheet or plate may be omitted and the indicia inscribed directly upon the bottom wall of the recess. Inclined upwardly and forwardly from the inner and lower corner of the recess is a reflector 10 which may consist of a mirror. The pane 6, plate 8 and reflector 10 are emplaced before the cap 4 is appl ed to the housing, the pane and reflector being held 1n place by the cap.

Application filed October 17, 1924. Serial No. 744,100.

When the device is approached from the recessed side of the housing, the image of the indicia is very clearly seen in the reflector or mirror 10 and it has the appearance of occupying a position indicated by the dotted line A.

When light is projected through the pane 6 onto the indicia on the bottom of the re-' cess, the light naturally falls with greatest intensity upon that portion that is nearest the outer side of the recess. \Vhen projected into the reflector or mirror 10, this causes the portion of the indicia that is most highly illuminated to appear within the top portion of the housing and this gives the impression that the housing is lighted by a source of illumination disposed within the upper portion thereof. The result is very effective. As the rays of light from the lamps of an approaching vehicle strike the device it appears to the driver as though the interior of the housing has been suddenly illuminated to display the signal. a

Obviously the device may take various forms. and within one housing there may be severalsignals. These may be arranged, for example, ofi opposite sides of the housing or at the ends thereof, and since such modifications are so self evident, specific illustration is deemed unnecessary.

. The very sturdy construction of the device \allows it to be placed within roadways without danger of its being damaged if struck or run over by the wheel of a vehicle. and its shape, as herein disclosed, permits of a wheel running over it with little difliculty.

Having 1. A signaling device comprising a housing having an open side, an indicia within the bottom portion of the housing in a substantially horizontal position where' it may receive light through the open side of the housing, and a reflector inclined upwardly from the rear edge of the indicia to approximately the top edge of said open side and wherein the image of the indicia may be observed through the open side of the housing.

2. A signaling device comprisin a. comparatively 10w knoll-shaped housing that is open 3t one side from bottom to near the top, an indicia within the bottom portion of the housing in a substantially horizontal position where it ma receive light through the open side 0;. the 9u,sing, a reflector inthus described my invention, what I I claim is:

clined upward] from the rear of the indicia to approximately the top edge of said open side and wherein the image of the indicia may be observed through the .open

side of the housing, and a transparent pane extending across said open side. v

3. A signaling device comprising a comparatively low knoll-shaped housing having a recess opening through one of its sides and through its top, a cap surmounting the housing and closing the top of the recess, an indicia on the bottom of the recess where it may receive light through the open sideof the recess, and a reflector extending from immediately adjacent the rear edge of the indicia upwardly and forwardly to approximately the top edge of said open side and wherein the image of the indicia thebottor'n of the recess, a reflector extending at an angle less than 45 to the vertical from the rear edge of the indicia upwardly and forwardly to approximately the top edge oi the open side of the recess, anid a transparent pane closing said open s1 e. a

5. A signaling device comprising a housing having a recess opening through one of its sides and top, acap surmounting the housing and closing the top of the recess, an indicia on the bottom of the recess, a reflector extending from the rear of the indicia upwardly and forwardly, and a transparent pane closing the side of the recess, the end walls of the recess having guides wherein the ends of the pane are engaged, and the cap serving to hold the pane and reflector in place.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

I ERNEST J. SHAFFER. 

